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Press Release

Las Vegas Man Indicted For Threatening To Assault And Murder Nevada U.S. Representative

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Nevada

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Louis Damato, 47, of Las Vegas, was indicted by a federal grand jury today for allegedly making threats to assault and murder a Nevada U.S. Representative, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse for the FBI.

Damato was previously charged in a criminal complaint on March 27, 2020. His initial court appearance is scheduled before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brenda Weksler on June 1, 2020.

As alleged in the complaint and indictment, on March 16, 2020, the office of U.S. Representative Dina Titus in Washington, D.C., received a threatening voicemail stating in pertinent part: “… I bought a f*cking gun ok I’m coming to DC to blow your f*cking head off!” Later that day, U.S. Capitol Police determined that the phone that left the threatening voicemail belonged to Damato. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department located Damato at a hotel casino, where he was arrested and read his Miranda rights. Damato allegedly admitted that he had been calling Representative Titus’ office for several days, and that he left the threatening message on the morning of March 16, 2020.

If convicted, Damato faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the threatening to assault and murder a public official charge and five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the interstate threats charge.

The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only. If convicted of the offense, the sentencing of a defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

An indictment merely alleges that a crime has been committed. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Capitol Police, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Dickinson is prosecuting the case.

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Updated May 19, 2020

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